16:50, Wednesday 23 November 2011, The Geological Society

The Carbon Capture and Storage industry in the UK is thought by many to have the potential to become as large as the North Sea oil and gas industry has been over the past 40 years. If this can be achieved, it will be a major contribution to meeting our carbon emissions targets, and could generate significant value for the economy. Is this ambition realistic? What are the scientific, technical, regulatory, economic, political and social challenges?

The Geological Society, together with the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, is holding a joint two-day research conference on Carbon Capture and Storage on 22-23 November, bringing together geoscientists and reservoir engineers to discuss scientific and technical challenges, uncertainties and opportunities for CO2 storage.

The conference will conclude with a panel debate, at which the conference delegates will be joined by an invited audience of those from government, industry, regulators, NGOs and others involved in planning and policy-making. A distinguished panel will lead a discussion of the policy-making, regulatory, economic and social context for CCS, and the
broader implications of the issues discussed over the previous two days, chaired by conference convenor Professor Jon Gluyas. The panellists are:

Dr David Reiner (Senior Lecturer in Technology Policy, Judge Business
School, University of Cambridge)

Professor Richard Macrory (Professor of Environmental Law, University
College London)

Mr Mervyn Wright (Technical Lead, CCS Demonstration Project, Department
of Energy and Climate Change)

Dr Bryan Lovell (Senior Researcher, University of Cambridge / President
of the Geological Society)

Registration will be from 16:15 on Wednesday 23 November. The discussion will run from 16:50 to 18:00, and will be followed by a drinks reception.

We very much hope you will be able to join us for this debate. If you wish to attend, please email policy@geolsoc.org.uk, stating your name and job title/preferred affiliation. There is no charge for attending the debate.

(Places at the conference itself are still available – full details and registration are at www.geolsoc.org.uk/ccs_nov2011.)

The Economist is hosting a live online debate on renewable energy until 18th November. The motion is: “Renewables: This house believes that subsidising renewable energy is a good way to wean the world off fossil fuels” and opening statements are currently being welcomed. Contribute to the debate at http://www.economist.com/debate/debates/overview/217.

Welsh Labour’s First Minister, Carwyn Jones, is set to ask the UK government to devolve powers to Welsh government when it comes to decisions over clean energy projects in Wales.

After a series of public campaigns against the National Grid plans to build a new 19 acre substation and expanse of pylons to support new wind farm developments, Welsh Labour are expected to call for devolved power because at present, the final decision for planning approval will be made in Westminster not Cardiff.

The First Minister stated that it was “unacceptable” for planning decisions regarding wind farms in Wales to be made in London and is expected to raise the matter at the British-Irish Council held in the English capital today.

As part of the UK government’s energy strategy to decrease emissions and increase the amount of energy derived from renewable sources to a total of 10% by 2010, the Welsh government proposed seven new areas in Wales, known as Tan 8, for wind farm development in the year of 2005. The decision has since proved controversial culminating with over 1,500 protesters campaigning outside the Senedd in May.

Following the protests, Welsh Government announced plans to limit the number of wind farm developments in the Tan 8 areas. Welsh Labour however, maintains that they are committed to UK energy targets (which they are currently achieving) but want more control over final decisions affecting Welsh landscapes.

Vince Cable yesterday announced more detailed plans for the green investment bank, including some indication of the type of projects that will be financed. The bank will be the first of its kind in the world, specifically designed to fund the new low carbon green economy. The announcement, and publication of a progress report by the department of business innovation and skills, follows a speech given by Nick Clegg at an event hosted by Climate Change Capital.

The deputy Prime Minister emphasised the need to consider the reasons for investing, including preserving the environment on which we rely for the next generation. He also mentioned the economic incentive to make the UK the world leaders in producing green technology, suggesting that many companies could set up manufacturing plants in the UK.

In an oral statement to the House of Commons Vince Cable focussed on the legally binding commitment made by the government to reduce carbon emissions 50% by 2050, and the need to revolutionise our energy and transport sectors, and invest in green infrastructure to achieve this target. He also noted the requirement for stable long term green policies to encourage investment in green infrastructure, which will flow through the green investment bank. £3 billion will initially be invested in the bank.

The progress report published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills picks out the Water Framework Directive and Air Quality Standards Regulations as other key legislation to be supported by the green investment bank. Money will be invested in waste water management and improving flood defences replacing loss of funding due to Defra budget cuts. Money will also be invested in improving air quality and reducing emissions from vehicles.

Both Nick Clegg and Vince Cable noted the economic benefits of investment in green infrastructure in terms of saving energy and money, however there was no mention of investment to protect ecosystem services, and biodiversity, or the possible cost of inaction in these areas. Investment in better protection of ecosystem services will be vital for protecting the environment for the next generation.

The Green Investment Bank (GIB) – proposed as part of government’s strategy to tackle climate change through the promotion of investment in environment and clean energy projects, is not the most controversial topic to spring to mind. Yet the subject of how to proceed with plans for the GIB has however been one of hot debate.

The GIB hopes to raise £200 billion in the long term to help renew the UK’s energy grid. At present, the government has pledged £1 billion towards the bank, which critics argue is simply not enough. The pinnacle of the controversy however arises over how to proceed with the GIB; as an investment bank or fund.

If the GIB were classified as a bank by the National Statistics Office, (whether independent or publicly owned), it would have the ability to raise additional capital and borrow money. If however the GIB were to take on the form of a fund it would not be granted these borrowing rights, and would therefore be expected to fall far short of government climate change targets due to a lack of funds.

It is subsequently argued that the GIB should adopt the form of a public sector investment bank, as a government backed bank would have a higher rating than an independent one. The major obstacle to this lies in the reluctance of the treasury to back the GIB as this would mean that government would have to accept all future liability, which in turn could threaten to undermine plans to reduce the deficit. If the GIB were to alternatively become a fund, the UK could miss out on the opportunity to attract billions of pounds worth of green investment to assist economic growth.

If climate change targets are to be reached with additional potential for economic growth there is a strong case to designate the GIB a public bank. Nonetheless, considering the current economic climate, uncertainty, and resulting caution this is a subject that will continue to be debated. Plans concerning the future role of the GIB are due to be released at the end of May.

Yesterday evening, Jonathon Porritt, founder of Forum for the Future and chair of the Sustainable Development Commission, spoke at the annual Burntwood lecture, hosted by Institution of Environmental Science.

In a dynamic talk, Porritt described the so-called “growth fetish” of modern society, in which emphasis is increasingly put on economic growth, measured by Gross Domestic Product, above all other indicators of success. He also spoke on the role of human rights and development NGOs in fighting the cause for environmentalism, stating that they had failed to address the root of the problem.

Population growth, he said, was a key factor in the debate on how to achieve “a sustainable low-carbon economy”, a piece of the puzzle that had thus far been ‘missed out’. As a result, natural and economic resources would continue to be stretched to unsustainable levels, with almost every significant trend in consumption- including water, food and energy- increasing steadily. He assured that establishing a ‘real’ global price on carbon emissions was also vital, if the world is to lower its greenhouse gas emissions to at least 50% on 1990 levels by 2050, avoiding the dangerous effects of climate change. This would be equivalent to 6g of carbon dioxide per US dollar ($) of economic growth by 2050, whilst current levels are approximately 750g of carbon dioxide per dollar of growth.

Mr Porritt then suggested the essential tools needed to get us to a ‘sustainable economy’. He supported the idea that innovation and technological advancement, driven by a need for sustainable consumption, would also bring huge benefits economically. ‘Marketisation’, or valuation of natural assets including Ecosystem Services, would help to create an economic model in which preservation of natural assets remains more profitable than environmental destruction. “It’s about using nature’s wealth more sustainably”, Porritt stated. He suggested that political corruption and the rise of ‘Denialism’ were responsible for the majority of inaction on global over-consumption, which has lead to runaway environmental destruction.

Mr Porritt then called on NGOs and environmental advocates to start focussing their effort towards promoting “limits to growth”, to stop what he regarded as “the systematic betrayal of young people today”. Relentlessly increasing levels of consumption were “completely non-viable”, he added. He commented that well-known NGOs, such as Friends of the Earth and WWF, should make more effort to address the economic developmental pressures of the world today, in order to remain the “lifeblood” of the environmental movement.

A lively question and answer session followed the lecture, in which Trewin Restorick – CEO of Global Action Plan- and representatives from WWF-UK disputed Porritt’s claims that the NGOs strategy on global sustainability was “inadequate”. Mr Porritt also acknowledged the significant positive effect” that had been made by thinking and research on ecosystem services, in making biodiversity conservation more effective. He believes that understanding the “economics of natural capital” will help to further expose the irreversible costs of environmental destruction.

Other questions from the floor related to the role of innovation and technology in achieving his vision of ‘a sustainable low carbon economy’. Mr Porritt commented that innovation in ‘green technology’ did not have to come at the expense of economic recovery. He also praised leadership from “forward thinking entrepreneurs” in partnership with the private sector, for contributing to a “thriving” portfolio of low-carbon technologies, against the backdrop of political failure to establish a “price on carbon”. Further progress was being ’stunted’ by a lack of “market-based controls on carbon”, which would allow these technologies to become more economical, he said.

Expressions of interest are invited to attend a 3 day sandpit as part of the NERC/Defra Marine Renewable Energy Research Programme.

The aim of the sandpit is to fund research project(s) which will develop an understanding of the environmental benefits and risks of up-scaling marine renewable energy schemes on the quality of marine bioresources (including biodiversity) and biophysical dynamics of open coasts.

The sandpit will be taking place from the 8-10 December 2010.
The closing date for expressions of interest is 16:00 on Thursday 14 October 2010

For further information and contacts please visit the programme webpage.

From 18th August Local Authorities across the UK will have the restrictions on generating and selling renewable energy removed, following an announcement by the Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne this week.

The potential for Local Authorities to lead the way in clean energy generation has been highlighted due to the size of many Local Authority owned estates, combined with a new ability to benefit from the new Feed in Tariff payments. This potential sharply contrasts with existing Local Authorities’ efforts, which have been restricted by 1980s regulations put in place during the privatisation of utilities. This has resulted in Local Authorities generating just 0.01% of renewable electricity nationally.

DECC hope this decision will stimulate action to tie in to their wider climate change mitigation strategy to increase the percentage of energy generated from renewable sources, and reduce carbon emissions. The decision also mirrors the new Coalition Government’s local democracy agenda, by giving Local Authorities an active role in the low carbon transition and the freedom to lead by example. To read Huhne’s letter to Local Authorities, which includes more information on the rationale behind his decision, click here.

The RSPB has this morning challenged the proposed development of a barrage across the Severn Estuary, citing evidence from a study by the Dutch Government of a similar development at the Oosterschelde estuary in the Netherlands. The study of the barrier at the Oosterschelde estuary, erected in the 1980s, concludes that flood risk was exacerbated behind the barrier, causing damage to wildlife, fishing, tourism and shipping.

Dr Mark Avery, Director of Conservation at the RSPB, appeared on this morning’s BBC Radio 4 ‘Today’ programme, interviewed alongside an engineering expert from the University of Cardiff. Dr Avery stressed the RSPB’s support for proposals to tap into the renewable energy potential of the Severn river but urged the UK Government to consider alternatives to a barrage. The Cardiff University academic in response cited a study which showed that the ecosystems around the Dutch barrage had shown ‘resilience’ to the effects of the barrier however, indicating the the impact on wildlife had not been as negative as portrayed by the Government in the Netherlands. In challenging this, Dr Avery urged the UK Government to look at the study from the Netherlands carefully and to learn from experience in other areas before making a decision on whether to proceed with a Severn barrage.

More details: South Wales Argus, 9 February 2010

The Housing Minister, John Healey, yesterday announced that the UK Government is planning to abolish the need for planning permission in relation to wind turbines of up to 50ft in height, provided the turbine makes no more than 45 decibels of noise. This decision, which is open to consultation for three months, would allow wind turbines to be erected across farmland, and in industrial areas, around the UK and could boost renewable energy production. Safeguards will be put in place regarding location and impact on an area.

Under the proposals outlined yesterday, applications to erect solar panels on stadiums, schools, railway stations and offices would also be fast-tracked, whilst local councils would gain permission to install charging points for electric cars without the need for planning permission. A spokesman for the Department for Communities and Local Government stated that 30% of electricity could be generated from renewable sources by 2030.

Source article: John Healey unveils proposal to do away with planning permission for wind turbines, Times, 18 November 2009